The invention relates to a tool holder for elongate tools, in particular drill bits, of the type which is defined in more detail in the preamble of claim 1.
Tool holders which comprise a large number of different individual parts and are of relatively complicated structure are known in practice. The large number of different individual components requires a large number of different production tools and a relatively high number of assembly steps. Furthermore, the large number of different components entails not inconsiderable stock-keeping costs.
In view of the above facts, the known tool holders are generally relatively expensive to produce and manufacture.
Furthermore, there is scarcely any difference between the external appearance of the known tool holders, and consequently it is generally impossible for the customer or user to associate a tool holder with a specific manufacturer using its external design. Moreover, the appearance of the known tool holders is visually relatively unappealing.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a tool holder for elongate tools, in particular drill bits, which can be produced quickly, easily and inexpensively and which combines a functional structure with a design which is at the same time visually appealing to the user.
According to the invention, this object is achieved by means of the features which are listed in the defining part of claim 1.
The distance between the front component and the rear component which is produced in the closed state of the tool holder results in the possibility of bridging this distance with other components, in particular the receiving device, which may have virtually any desired appearance.
The possibility of bridging the abovementioned distance with components of virtually any desired shape makes it possible to provide the tool holder with an appearance which is generally attractive and/or typical of a specific manufacturer of tools or tool holders. It is therefore possible for the user or potential purchaser to associate a specific external appearance with the manufacturer of tools and/or tool holders, resulting in not inconsiderable room to differentiate from tool holders from other manufacturers, which is highly advantageous from an advertising viewpoint.
Furthermore it is possible, due to the distance which is produced even in the closed state, to remove the tools from the tool holder much more easily in the open state, since in the open state of the tool holder the distance increases by the level of the distance which exists in the closed state. This also contributes, inter alia, to enabling the receiving device or tool holder to be filled better and therefore more quickly and at lower cost.
One possibility of changing the distance between the front wall part and the rear wall part using design measures is achieved by the fact that the front wall part is connected to the receiving device in such a manner that it can pivot about an axis, and furthermore by the fact that the rear wall part is connected to the receiving device in such a manner that it can pivot about an axis, the two axes preferably lying at a distance from one another, in such a manner that one axis is situated closer to the rear wall part and the other axis is situated closer to the front wall part.
The fact that, in the region of the receiving device, the two wall parts are arranged so that they can rotate about in each case one axis makes it possible to influence or change the distance between the two wall parts which is produced in the closed state of the tool holder, resulting in a greater level of freedom for the visual and functional design of the tool holder.
An embodiment which is highly advantageous in particular with regard to the ease and speed of assembly consists in the fact that the receiving device, in the region of the axis at which the receiving device is pivotably connected to the rear wall part, in each case has a pin on both sides, and furthermore in the region of the axis at which the receiving device is pivotably connected to the front wall part, has further pins, likewise on both sides, which together with holes in the two wall parts form axes.
This design makes it possible to reduce the number of individual parts in the tool holder, since it is possible to dispense with additional separate parts such as bolts, rivets or screws.
This accelerates and simplifies the assembly time and assembly work considerably and therefore contributes to a reduction in the production costs.
Furthermore, the reduction in the number of separate individual parts also minimizes the storage and logistics costs. Finally, the complete assembly operation is significantly facilitated thereby.
A further, particularly advantageous embodiment in terms of the assembly and the subsequent ease of handling during use of the tool holder according to the invention consists in the fact that the receiving device has at least one pin at its region which is remote from the pivot axis, and furthermore that the rear wall part has at least one slot arranged in a side wall of the rear wall part, and in that a distance between the axis of the receiving device and the pins arranged at the region remote from the axis approximately corresponds to the distance between the axis and the slot arranged on the rear wall part. Furthermore, the advantageous embodiment is achieved by the fact that the pin is guided movably in the slot and by the fact that a pivot angle between the rear wall part and the receiving device can be limited by the pin which is guided in the slot.
This design also results in a reduction in the number of components, and this in turn increases the speed of assembly and minimizes the assembly work or the number of assembly steps. Consequently, with this design it is possible to dispense with the standard small parts, such as hooks and wires, which are used in known tool holders normally to limit the pivot angle in these known tool holders.
Particularly secure fixing of the elongate tools situated in the receiving device, in particular the drill bits, is achieved by the fact that a tool-securing device is arranged on the front wall part.
The tool-securing device fixes the drill bits inside the tool holder in their axial position, so that the drill bits cannot slip out of the receiving device during transport.
The tool holder is made particularly easy to open and close if the front wall part and the rear wall part have angled-off tabs, the base surfaces of which face toward the respectively other wall part. The arrangement of the tabs makes the tool holder particularly simple and comfortable for the user to employ, in that he can quickly and easily fold it open or shut.
Undesirable opening or folding open of the tool holder according to the invention can be prevented particularly easily and with relatively little effort by the fact that the angled-off tab parts, in the closed state of the tool holder, form a partial groove or a distance between them, in which case a hanging element which can pivot, for example, about an axis running at least approximately in the folding-open direction, and rests in the partial groove or bridges the distance, may be arranged on the tool-securing device. At its end region which is remote from the axis and faces toward the tool-securing device, the hanging element may have at least one latching element, in which case the latching element can be latched in in the region of the tabs and/or the tool-securing device; the hanging element can be folded in, in particular, between the partial groove formed by the two angled-off tabs, so that the front wall part is locked to the rear wall part so that it cannot be opened unintentionally.
In a refinement of the invention, simple assembly of the tool-securing device and reliable attachment of the tool-securing device to the front wall part is achieved by the fact that the tool-securing device has pins and the fact that the front wall part has holes into which the pins latch.
This further reduces the number of individual parts and facilitates assembly.